Sycamore Gap tree case sent to crown court as damages valued at more than £620,000
15 May 2024, 16:14 | Updated: 15 May 2024, 16:47
A man has pleaded not guilty to chopping down the Sycamore Gap tree after the criminal damages caused by the incident were valued at more than £620,000.
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Daniel Graham, 38, and Adam Carruthers, 31, were charged with two counts of criminal damage to both the tree and Hadrian's Wall.
Mr Graham pleaded not guilty to both charges at Newcastle Magistrates' Court while Mr Carruthers entered no plea.
The case was sent to Newcastle Crown Court by District Judge Zoe Passfield due to the severity of the alleged offences.
The pair, who entered court with balaclavas over their heads, could face between 18 months and four years if they are convicted, the court heard.
The damage to the tree was valued at £622,191 while the wall damages were valued at £1,144 with both offences alleged to have taken place in September last year.
The men, who are both from Carlisle, were arrested last October and have been on bail since then, according to Northumbria Police.
Read more: Two men charged in connection with felling of iconic Sycamore Gap tree
The tree was a popular tourist site as one of the most photographed trees in the country and had stood next to the Roman wall, a Unesco world heritage site, since the late 1800s.
Northumberland National Park (NNP) said it had received 2,000 “heartfelt” messages from people all over the world who were saddened by the incident.
The tree’s origins are thought to have dated back to medieval times and it has been previously excavated twice when Roman remains were found.
